Willow Pinecone Gall Midge
Rabdophaga strobiloides
The 'pinecone' is actually a highly modified willow bud; the midge's saliva chemically hijacks the plant's growth, stopping stem elongation so leaves bunch up.
- Scientific name
- Rabdophaga strobiloides
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Diptera › Cecidomyiidae › Rabdophaga
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Riparian zones, wet meadows, and wetland edges where willow (Salix) species grow.
- Diet
- Larvae feed on willow plant fluids within the gall; adults have vestigial mouthparts and do not feed.
- Range
- North America
- Size
- Adults: 3-4 mm; Galls: 2-4 cm
- Lifespan
- 1 year (adults live only a few days to mate and lay eggs)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Wetland destruction, clearing of riparian vegetation, and broad-spectrum pesticide application.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. These tiny midges and their mimic pinecone galls pose no threat to humans. You can safely examine the dried woody galls on willow branches. Avoid tearing them open, as they provide critical winter shelter for the larvae and other beneficial insects.
Rabdophaga strobiloides , the willow pinecone gall midge , is a species of gall midges in the family Cecidomyiidae.
Photo: Douglas Goldman, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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